Fool Me Once
by Adevlo. D
Summary: He was never the sharpest kunai when it came to understanding the laws of physics, but he was pretty sure that he shouldn't have magically traveled back in the time where his father and mother were. Making Minato fall for him was just a bonus he guessed.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **I'm pretty sure most of you readers are cussing me out right now, but I don't really care because as a matter a fact, I think I'm going to like this version of 'Fool Me Once' better than, (and I'm going to put as most of you say), my lame-ass copy of 'Underwater'.

-shrugs-

Oh well, I don't care! I hope the readers that don't cuss me off enjoy this! Read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Naruto characters.

**W****arning: **Yaoi (MalexMale), crude language, (future) sexual content

**Rated: **NC-17

**Pairing: **Minato Namikaze & Naruto Uzumaki

* * *

**Fool Me Once**

**Chapter 1: **Prologue

_"Are you sure about this?"_

_The moonlight twinkled brightly above the two hooded figures standing calmly in the middle of a vast landscape located in a thick forest. Not a sound was heard as another roar erupted from far away where their destination was._

_The smaller of the two men inclined his head and took long strides with inhuman grace toward his partner. He wrapped an arm around the lithe waist, his other arm coming up to gently remove the hood from the shadowed face._

_He was met with the most stunning cerulean orbs he had ever seen and had grown accustomed to over the past years with him. The man looked down at him with concern and fondness, the last emotion making him slightly angry because it wasn't what he was yearning for and yet he received it nonetheless. His pale hand brushed against soft spiky golden locks, making them bounce back up to their normal gravity-defying state._

_"Naruto..." He breathed, taking in the breathtaking sight presented before him. An elegant eyebrow was raised in return and the blond smiled, coming up to pull off the taller man's hood as well._

_"What's wrong, Itachi? Are you nervous?" Naruto grabbed one of his dark bangs, tugging at it playfully. Itachi said nothing, still taking his time to admire the __twenty-year-__old before him. Naruto's smile faded and made a move to retreat his hand, but a hand around his wrist stopped him from doing so._

_The thirteen-year-__old raven leaned up, teetering on the tips of his toes and brushed his lips against the older male's. He pulled back, searching the whiskered face for any indication of disgust. He was pleased to find a look of shock instead. Almost immediately, blue irises softened and looked down at him solemnly._

_"Itachi-" The Uchiha raised a finger, silencing the blond from what he was about to say._

_"I know, Naruto..." He said with a hint of malice lacing through his words. He ran his thumb over chapped lips and sighed once more. Naruto smiled down at him, pulling the boy flush against his body in a bone-crushing hug._

_"Remember the plan, Itachi. Whatever happens out there, stay inside with your mother. If you start feeling a slight burn on that seal I put on you, don't you dare go outside. I'll try to absorb most of the pain as much as I can, alright? If I can't...well then, you'll just have to bear with me, ne?" The raven nodded stiffly while unconsciously rubbing the winding thorn-like tattoo imprinted on his left wrist._

_The sounds of battle cries, clashing metal, and the horrendous roars from Kyuubi alerted them that their mission had yet to be completed. Naruto finally pulled away from him when he saw a familiar giant toad suddenly appear out of nowhere from afar. He leaned down ever so slightly to peck Itachi's cheek, and just before taking off towards battle, he winked at him._

_"And don't forget to tell Sasuke I said hi, because after this I probably won't be able to see daylight ever again...even if Minato is hokage."_

_With a whisper of the wind and a swirl of dancing leaves, he was gone._

_Itachi swallowed thickly._

_It just wasn't fair that Naruto was most likely going to be executed (or imprisoned for life if his assumptions were correct and Minato manages to convince the council to be lenient against Naruto) because he was saving his homeland._

_...It just wasn't fair..._

* * *

_"Take care of Naruto for me, ne?"_

_Kushina smiled weakly up at her husband, lifting up her hand to wipe away the tears falling freely down his cheeks. Minato sniffled, grasping her fragile hand gently in his and squeezing it reassuringly._

_...Well, as much as he could reassure a dying mother._

_"Of course." He whimpered pathetically._

_The blond Hokage chocked down a sob as his wife closed her eyes and went lax in his arms. He gently laid her lifeless body on the ground and slowly got up. His raven-haired student looked sadly at him, his crimson eyes glancing down at the sleeping bundle in his arms._

_"Minato-sensei!"_

_The blond man fell to the ground on his knees, a hand clutching his abdomen w__here Madara __had wounded him. The sole female of his team rushed to his side immediately, easing him carefully on the ground._

_"Sensei, don't stress yourself too much." She reprimanded him softly, trying to avoid the painfully obvious corpse of her dear sensei's wife that __lay__ not even five feet away from them. Minato smiled weakly up at her, averting his gaze upwards as her hands glowed a bright green._

_"What are we going to__ do now, sensei?" Kakashi asked, __walking up to Obito and gently prying the new born from __the boy's arms. The raven reluctantly__ let go, waving forlornly at the sleeping baby. When Rin finished, she let out a tired sigh and leaned back on her haunches. Minato carefully sat up, wincing slightly as his sore muscles protested with his actions._

_"We aren't going to do anything. You guys are going to the front line and just stay there while I go and handle this...disaster."_

_Obito was about to open his mouth to protest but Minato was quick to interrupt._

_"This is an order from your __Hokage__!" He snapped harshly, making Obito take a step back, flinching at the tone of voice that the usually composed blond used toward him. Kakashi swallowed thickly while Rin chewed on her bottom lip nervously, glanc__ing at the bundle in her silver-__haired teammate's arms._

_Minato let out a grunt as he stood up on shaky legs. He slowly made his way towards his two male students, a smudge of a smile settling on his lips as he gazed down at the peaceful face of his newborn son. Kakashi was hesitant in handing the baby __over to him, but in the end it wasn't his decision to make as little Naruto began to stir from his slumber._

_The baby shrieked, beads of tears rolling down the sides of his face. His hands curled into tiny fists, opening and closing as if he already knew his father was close enough for him to reach for him. Minato grinned weakly,__ taking the child into his arms and__ cradling him gently. Naruto's cries immediately ceased and he __cuddled__ into the newly found warmth._

_Minato's muscles relaxed and he spared his team a glance before flicking his wrist and disappearing in a flash of yellow. Rin let out a sob as she shakily stood up. Obito clenched his fists and grit his teeth. Sucking in a shaky breath, he slowly started making his way to the front line as his sensei instructed, but before he could disappear from sight a yellow and black blur ran right in front of him._

_Obito recoiled back in surprise and blinked__ his one eye__ as the fa__ce of the blur appeared in his S__haringan eyes. __He__ grinned and glanced back to see if his other team__mates had noticed anything as well. Kakashi's sole S__haringan eye looked at him knowingly before going back to gazing up at the snarling demon fox in the horizon._

_A thought crossed through both of their minds as they saw a small silhouette land on Gamabunta's head, and not a second later, a blinding light was formed._

_'You better save him, Naruto.'_

* * *

_The shrill cries of a baby were muted by the gruesome roars of the nine-tailed fox. Minato shielded his son as another harsh wave of sound hit them. He hissed as he felt his ears ring._

_"Don't cry, Naruto. Everything will be over soon...shhh." He whispered softly. Little Naruto did not cease his crying though. In fact, his screams seemed to crescendo with each intake of breath he took. Minato frowned and lifted his hands to form an unknown signature. _

_The baby quieted down immediately and watched in rapt fascination. His cerulean orbs mesmerized at how fast his father was going. They widened when a figure suddenly appeared behind his father from out of nowhere._

_Blue clashed with blue and the baby smiled, reaching out towards the figure._

_"Please Kami-sama, let this work."_

_The child __narrowed__ his eyes as a bright light sprouted from his father's palms, and as he felt something inside them start to climax..._

…_.everything abruptly stopped._

_Little Naruto blinked blearily up at his bemused father. He watched as Minato blinked, then slowly, achingly slowly, turn his head to stare at the person who had dared to disrupt his forbidden jutsu._

_Familiar azure eyes that he had not seen in years gazed back at him._

_Naruto solemnly glanced at him before jumping over him and charging with a mighty roar toward the nine-tailed fox._

* * *

_"Please stop crying, Sasuke..." A soft voice choked._

_The woman let out a sob as she cradled her newborn son closer to her body as another crash sounded through the village. There were cries of people who were being mutilated by the wrath of Kyuubi and then a few moments of silence before it __started once again._

_She wept silently, stroking her son's ebony hair as he __continued to cry because of__ the loud noises. His tiny hands were clenched into fists and his face was flushed red as he cried harder._

_The raven haired woman sat huddled in a corner at the far end of her house. The others were somewhere located in the compound, but they had not let her in because of her bawling baby. She hugged Sasuke and wheezed miserably. A few moments passed before only silence was heard._

_She looked up hesitantly, wondering what had made Sasuke stop crying, and gasped when she was met with the crimson eyes of her long lost son._

_"Itachi?" The name passed her lips before she could stop it. Her eyes watered even more as he knelt down to the ground, taking the crying child away from her and shushing him immediately. Itachi sat down next to her, avoiding her gaze as he stared down at his __five-month-old__ baby brother._

_"Itachi..." She whimpered, hesitantly reaching out to touch him. He did nothing to stop her, merely sitting perfectly still as she grasped his shoulder like it was a life line._

_"Do not cry mother, it does not become of you." He said flatly, finally turning to look at her frail-looking form. Sasuke let out a yawn as he clutched his big brother's shirt, snuggling up to him and letting out a contented sigh._

_Suddenly, his mother hugged him close to her, and disturbingly so, he did not mind. In fact, he hugged her back full force, careful not to disrupt his brother from his sleep._

_Itachi let out a hiss as the tattoo on his wrist began to burn intensely against his pale skin, burning it slightly. It glowed a bright shade of red and his nostrils filled with the scent of burnt skin. His mother paid no heed, only holding him tighter and sobbing louder._

_He did the same, a single tear escaping his eye as the burning continued._

_'Please Kami-sama...please help him.'_

* * *

_"Gaaaaaahhh!"_

_"Naruto!"_

_He was vaguely aware of Minato's voice calling out his name, but with the way Kyuubi was swinging around his head, he couldn't even tell which way was up. With the little amount of energy he managed to muster up, he held harder onto the orange fur of the fox and heaved himself up._

_"Get out of here Minato!" He yelled before he was flung off the head, his body colliding with the thick trees and knocking them down along with his fall. The fourth __Hokage's__ silhouette was growing smaller and smaller each mile he passed._

_Naruto coughed as he stood up on shaky legs and dusted his clothes off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move momentarily and before he could register what it was, he was crashing into a cliff that had been fifty miles away from him. A big crater formed itself upon the impact, sending chunks of weathered rock down below._

_Out of instinct, the blond immediately jumped from his spot and onto the top of the rocky height. Not a moment later, the gigantic form of the nine-tails crashed into the cliff, making the entire escarpment tumble down to the ground. He wobbled, trying to stabilize his balance and keep from falling._

_Once he realized that he couldn't escape his thwart from future catastrophe, he jumped off the rocks, diving straight towards the snarling face of Kyuubi._

_Minato suddenly appeared a few miles from the avalanche, little Naruto still wrapped securely in his arms._

_Before he knew what exactly was happening, Naruto's entire body was covered in something crimson. It spread around his body like wildfire, and Minato could practically feel the power radiating off of the __twenty__-year-old._

_And just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared as Naruto dove straight into the nine-tail's mouth._

_Everything was eerily silent._

_Then a heart-wrenching scream echoed throughout the forest._

_"Narutooooo!"_

* * *

**A/N: Read and review folks! Tell me your opinions!**


	2. Rescue Me

**Author's Note: **Sorry guys that it's been taking so damn long, but life is a bitch as always and school is hell. On top of that, my boyfriend is a paranoid freak who gets all disgusted when I write in front of him. I swear it's a pain in the ass when I'm so worried about how you readers must have been anticipating this chapter for a long while. You must have already forgot what the prologue was about. I apologize for that because it must suck having to go back and read it. Or, at least that's what I do. I can't promise that my updates will be happening more often, but I swear I'll update when school is out. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! ^~^

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Naruto characters.

**Warning: **Yaoi (MalexMale), crude language, (future) sexual content

**Rated: **NC-17

**Pairing: **Minato Namikaze & Naruto Uzumaki

**Summary:**_He was never the sharpest kunai when it came to understanding the laws of physics, but he was pretty sure tha__t he shouldn't of magically traveled back in the time where his father and mother were. Making Minato fall for him was just a bonus he guessed._

* * *

**Fool Me Once**

**Chapter 2:** Rescue Me

"Sasuke!"

Rapid inhales and exhales of breathing contrasted with the sounds of leaves rustling as the winded jinchuuriki ran quickly past branches of trees. He ran as fast as his legs would allow him to and he had been running for what felt like a decade. Finally, at the far end of the thick forest that seemed to never come to an end he could see an opening of light leading out of the woodlands. He spotted the person he was chasing make his way out calmly, glancing back at him momentarily with his blood red Sharingan eyes before jumping off ahead. Naruto gathered what strength in him he had left and boosted up his speed, making it past the opening in record time.

It proved to be a grave mistake when his foot only touched thin air and not before long his whole body was falling down head-first into the lake below. Blue eyes met with crimson for a split second before Naruto landed in the small lake filled with glowing crystalline water. Sasuke simply gazed at the scene, a hand clutching a thick vine amongst the many of them that trailed up the cliff, his foot firmly placed on the stone wall and crushing vegetation to keep from falling.

The small lake that was at the bottom had come as a bit of surprise to Sasuke as well, but he had managed to catch himself at the last minute. The lake had an eerie feeling to it, especially with the granite covered statue that stood in the very middle which represented a sundial.

His eyes shifted from the statue to the sound of splashing that was coming from the edge of the lake. The blond was desperately trying to grab a hold of the vines that kept breaking apart every time he pulled on them. Cerulean orbs looked up at him hopelessly, looking for a source of rescue.

Sasuke continued staring almost lifelessly down at him, not moving an inch to help him get away from the treacherous waters that were sucking him in and filling his lungs with liquid and preventing him from breathing. Naruto's body felt like lead and it took all of his power not to sink into the depths of the lake, but he knew he would eventually reach his peak and give up all together.

The raven watched as his once teammate gave into his exhaustion and let the caresses of the mild waves take his body underwater. Sasuke's hand loosened on its own accord and he slipped down five feet or so. He grunted as his hand burned and planted both his feet on the cliff, preventing him from falling off. It took him a lot of will power not to jump in after Naruto when all he could see was his small tan hand reaching out toward him in vain. The blond called out to him but all that left his mouth were bubbles of carbon dioxide.

The lake started glowing and producing bubbles from out of nowhere and Sasuke watched on in curiosity. He couldn't see the other boy in the midst of all the foam and gurgling bubbles of water. All he heard was a piercing scream that had most likely come from Naruto and then deathly silence. The water turned back to its original state and the blond ninja was nowhere to be seen.

Sasuke cursed.

"Fuck."

Birds chirped and the wind rustled the leaves of the trees. Sasuke looked up at the sky and gazed at the rising sun, signaling that it was already morning. Everything went on as if nothing had happened.

As if he hadn't just lost his best friend.

* * *

"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama!"

The big breasted blond's head shot up quickly, a piece of paper stuck to her right cheek. A small trail of drool was on the corner of her lips, giving her a rather restless look. She looked around groggily, her eyes not completely open and glazed over. A yawn escaped her mouth and she stretched out her stiff muscles, looking around and finally landing her piercing hazel eyes on the perpetrator who had awoken her.

"What is it Shizune? Can't you see I was in the middle of signing a very important docu-"

"Naruto's gone Tsunade-sama!"

She was up in a millisecond demanding orders from her poor assistant.

"I want Yamato and Kakashi in my office in less than five minutes! Tell me when and how you found out and I forbid you to mention any of this to his friends! Call for an ANBU dispatch team immediately and have them search every nearby village and the forest! If they find ANY clues whatsoever of his whereabouts to report to me ASAP! Well? What are you standing there for Shizune? You have things to do!"

The small petite woman let out a small squeak before hurriedly nodding and rushing out of the room quickly. Tsunade slumped back down in her seat and brought up a hand to massage her aching temples from the oncoming headache that she was getting.

"How the hell did that idiot find out?" She mumbled to herself.

The blond Sannin stood up as the two men she had asked for 'poofed' into her office. The wood-user had an uneasy look on his face and Kakashi was looking rather tense as well. Tsunade stared at them sternly, a frown marring her usually beautiful features.

"I'm assuming you two have some clue as to why I have summoned you." She began, closing her eyes and sighing for the umpteenth time. Before he could stop himself, Yamato took a step forward.

"Where's Naruto?" He demanded with a stern look on his face. Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from doing anything else that might anger their Hokage. Tsunade stared at him solemnly, looking down and shaking her head.

"He's run off after Sasuke. How he managed to find out, I do not know. How he was able to slip past my ANBU that were preventing him from doing just this, I don't know either. That idiot is unpredictable after all." That brought a small smile to her face and Kakashi's sole eye softened a little.

"As of now though, your mission is to go after him. Find any clues of where he might have gone and bring him back as soon as possible! You are to not tell anyone of this, specifically his teammates. They might hinder the mission. I want you two to leave immediately."

The two shinobi stood up straighter, bowing to their Hokage and hurriedly disappearing to start their new mission, but just as they made it outside, a familiar stoic raven was waiting for them calmly. Kakashi blinked as he shut the Hokage's door.

"S-Sai?" Obsidian eyes gave them a determined look before speaking.

"I want to be on your mission." He said, surprising the two men in front of him. Yamato immediately objected but before he could voice out his complaints, Sai spoke again, a fiery look in his eyes.

He wasn't taking no for an answer.

"I'm going either way, so might as well tag me along. I can cover more ground and you know that." The raven had made a clear fact there and Yamato was having second thoughts about not letting him tag along.

"Why do you want to go so badly?" Kakashi questioned, analyzing his motives suspiciously. Sai clenched his fists but composed himself.

"Because...because Naruto is my friend." He said quietly.

_He loved nights like these when all he could hear were __the sounds o__f the rain's light pitter-patter__ outside. No thunder or lightning, just soft __droplets__ of water__ falling from the gray sky to the __dry and thirsty earth below._

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

_Sai looked up from his book__tried__ to decipher where__ the noise it had co__me from. He got up slowly, setting his book down in his seat and quietly going into his bedroom. Just as he had suspected, the noise was coming from __his__ window. _

_"Naruto?"_

_The blond in question was crouching in front of his window, smiling at him and wavin__g for him to open the lock and let him in. Sai did and once Naruto was inside, he shut it closed and went to get the dripping wet blond a towel to dry off with. He didn't ask why the shinobi was outside his window on a night like this, or what he was here __for. _

_Sai merely handed him the dry cloth quietly and leaned against the wall, watching as Naruto dried off his face and hair. From the looks of it, it seemed that the blond had been outside for a very long time since he managed to get soaking wet. The rav__en inspected him further, his obsidian eyes lingering on the minor cuts and bruises that seemed to litter the blond's body._

_Just what had his teammate done before coming here?_

_And why, of all the people he could have gone to, did he come to him?_

_"Sai..." _

_The faint whis__per of his name made the hairs o__n the back of his neck stand at attention._

_"Hm?" He grunted in response, fighting back a cold shiver that threatened to run down his spine. Cerulean eyes practically glowed in the dark and set a stern gaze on h__im. _

_"I...I need your help, Sai."_

_The raven snapped his head up in surprise and stared at the blond shinobi before him who was slightly trembling. _

_"What is it?"_

_Naruto looked uncertainly at him, his top row of teeth biting his bottom lip nervously. He shifted his wait on one foot and dropped his gaze to the floor, searching for the proper words to tell him what he needed to say. The blond took a hesitant step forward and waited a second or so to advance toward him slowly, almost cautiously. Before Sai could say anything, slim arms wound themselves around his neck and a hard body pressed itself against his own._

_He felt the cold wetness clinging onto Naruto's clothes soak through his as well. Despite the dampness of the other teen Sai couldn't deny the unmistakable warmth that always radiated of the blond in waves._

_"Hold me...for just awhile."_

_Sai was stalk-__still, his arms limp at his sides, frozen from the shock. It took him a few more minutes to melt into the tende__r embrace and hold Naruto in his arms as well, burying his face into the __slightly dampened __golden __tresses__._

_At that moment, he realized why Naruto had come to him of all people._

_He was the one who looked more like Sasuke._

_Why today though?_

_Easy, it was July 23. _

_Sasuke's __birthday._

"And I will do anything to bring my friend back." Sai took an inhale of breath before looking at them both stoically. Kakashi sighed as he felt something in him pull at his heartstrings. Maybe it was the fact that in that moment, Sai sounded just like Naruto.

"Go tell the Hokage-sama."

* * *

"Wh-Where am I?"

His own voice seemed distant, that much he could make out.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes to reveal his captivating cerulean depths. He looked around, his eyes only meeting a vast landscape of barren white. The blond felt a weird tingling sensation run across his body and he looked down, watching calmly as the clothes that he had on were practically evaporating into thin air.

Suddenly, the whiteness that had been surrounding him from all sides was melting into a deep coal color, only very little places were kept white and before Naruto had any idea of what was going on, he was being lifted and then pushed into nothingness, everything flying past him in a blur.

He flailed his arms and legs everywhere, trying desperately to grab onto something before the bright light ahead of him swallowed him all up. There was no luck for him though as his limbs only met with air and he was enveloped into the brightness. His head was pounding and his heart was beating rapidly because of the sudden rush of adrenaline that pumped through his veins.

The next thing he saw before losing consciousness was the grassy forest ground beneath him that was about to collide with his face.

* * *

**Author's Note: **My writing is a bit rusty right now from lack of use, but it'll improve don't worry.


	3. Frightening Discoveries

**Author's Note: Here is chapter three! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Naruto characters.

**Warning: **Yaoi (MalexMale), crude language, (future) sexual content

**Rated: **NC-17

**Pairing: **Minato Namikaze & Naruto Uzumaki

**Summary: **_He was never the sharpest kunai when it came to understanding the laws of physics, but he was pretty sure that he shouldn't have magically traveled back in the time where his father and mother were. __Making Minato fall for him was just a bonus he guessed._

* * *

**Fool Me Once**

**Chapter 3: **Frightening Discoveries

Voices.

Murmured voices.

That's all he could manage to hear.

He let out a pained groan as he tried to raise his hand in order to block out the brightly shining sun from his closed eyes, and realized he could not move a single limb. The voices abruptly stopped and then the familiar echo of steps coming toward him resounded in his ears. Blearily letting his eyes greet the world once more, he squinted in order to lessen the sting.

Naruto turned his head on the soft pillow agitatedly, trying to escape the sun's wrath. He tried moving his other arm, only finding out that it too, could not move.

"The hell...?" He croaked out, trying to blink out the haziness in his sapphire depths.

He let his eyes flicker onto the blurry figure that seemed to be looking at him from the end of his bed. Sensing another presence beside him, he turned his head as his vision became clear.

His breath hitched and his eyes widened.

"Oji-sama...?" Naruto whispered while calming his movements.

The old man blinked owlishly before smiling pleasantly down at him. The crow's feet at the ends of his eyes scrunching together while the wrinkles on his forehead grew more defined with each muscle underneath his flesh that moved.

"Why the fuck am I having a dream about _you_?" The blond questioned while pulling at his arms that were tied down the bed with some sort of chakra bindings. His feet were the same too and he squirmed even more.

"A dream, you say?" The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow and watched passively as the man restrained to the bed struggled in a vain attempt to free himself. Naruto threw him a glance.

"Yes, you. Now could you please let me out of these things?"

"Not until you answer a few questions."

That is when the man who had been silent up until then spoke up, a smiling phoenix mask perched on his face, which prevented Naruto from seeing who he was. All he could make out from the man was his spiky golden hair and muscular build.

The jinchuuriki frowned and glared at him.

"Well, I can answer them if you _untie me._" He grit out, wiggling his hips and arching his back.

The Sandaime Hokage let out a small chuckle and waved at the ANBU who grunted and unbound the chakra ropes from the stranger's limbs. Naruto let out a satisfied sigh and sat up, massaging the back of his neck and craning it back and forth and side to side to pop his stiff joints.

"That's better." The blond demon container remarked while rubbing at his raw ankles and wrists.

"Who are you?" Sarutobi spoke plainly and straight to the point. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that and frowned.

"Are you kidding? You know who I am." The Hokage shook his head as a negative, which made Naruto furrow his eyebrows in confusion. There was a thick silence in which the blond began to contemplate his predicament.

"Well, if I'm dead and you're here, then you should be able to know me from your past life." No sooner were those words out of his mouth a kunai knife was poised at his throat and a rough hand was grabbing his head and holding it harshly against a hard chest-plate. Naruto gnawed his teeth in agitation, trying his best to ignore the screaming instincts in the back of his mind that told him to _run, attack, _and _hide_.

Not before long, he felt a small sting on his neck and he gasped in surprise. Knowing exactly what was going on the blond began to thrash around wildly in his captive's arms. Not even five minutes later, his whole body went limp and his eyes closed.

"Now was that really necessary?" Sarutobi questioned irritably as he massaged his temples in annoyance. The ANBU said nothing as he stood up on the bed and threw the motionless body on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

"Hokage-sama, it is best if you go back to more important matters. I will take this stranger to Ibiki and report back to you if we find anything in the least bit threatening." He made a move to leave but Sarutobi waved his hand in the air.

"Absolutely not, bring him to my office and I'll get things done _my_ way. This boy is no threat to me and you leave him be." Behind the mask, the man frowned.

"Hokage-sama how can you be so sure? This man might be an-" Sarutobi shook his head and began to make his way out of the room.

"Trust me on this, Minato."

With that said, the Third Hokage shut the door behind him, leaving Minato to scowl sourly.

* * *

"Leave."

"Hokage-sama I can do no such thing! I have done what you have told me to do with no further complaint, but as a shinobi of Konoha I will not leave you here with him without proper protection! Furthermore-"

"Oh come off it, Minato. Nothing will happen-"

"Will you two _shut the fuck up_?"

The two arguing men promptly quieted down and turned to look at the groggy blond barely awakening. Glossy cerulean eyes stared at them, most likely trying to get his vision clear. Naruto's spiky hair was mussed up even more so and a small drool of saliva was leaking from the corner of his mouth. The jinchuuriki tried to move his hands once more and was not surprised to find them tied tightly behind the chair he was sitting on.

"Awww! That's so _cute!_" There was a shriek coming from the side of him where the door was and Naruto lazily turned his head, locking eyes with chocolate colored ones.

A girl with short, dark-brown hair stood in front of two other people behind her. She had her hands up to her purple-marked covered cheeks, a light blush adorning her face, and her eyes sparkling with uncontrolled mirth. Naruto raised an eyebrow at her but once he saw a shift of movement, which in return made something silver behind her shine in the sun's rays, he lost all thought as his heartbeat started to speed up in growing hopefulness. The blond snapped his attention to the boy standing nonchalantly behind the girl that was staring at him weirdly.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Recognition ignited inside him and he pulled at his restraints, fire suddenly coursing through him and urging him to go to the boy standing not even a few feet away from him. He broke the tweed rope quite easily and made a move to take a step forward but landed flat on his face. Realizing his feet were tied too he quickly tore them off and effortlessly dodged the kunai aimed at his head.

Naruto ran and paid no mind the girl that got out of his way along with the raven-haired boy beside her. The person he was running toward did not even bat an eyelash as he watched him with apathetic dark-grey eyes. Naruto reached out a hand to him and before he could even touch the boy, his arm was roughly grabbed and his body was slammed into the ground. A knee pressed harshly against his abdomen and strong hands held his shoulders still.

The blond's vision was askew and all he could make out was black hair and obsidian eyes. Before he could control himself, he reached for the face quickly and let his hands cup the warm cheeks of his assailant.

"Sasuke…?" He whispered softly.

Those same onyx eyes widened shortly before the figure grunted and heaved him upright. Naruto stared at him bemusedly, his azure eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Fugaku!" A deep, husky voice shouted and Naruto found himself staring into the cobalt eyes of the late Fourth Hokage.

Naruto did the only rational thing he could do.

He screamed.

Everyone in the vicinity stared at him as he dropped to the ground on his knees. Naruto was vaguely aware that he was still in his hospital gown as he put his hands to his head and pulled at his hair. There was a screeching of a chair being scraped against the hard wood floor and then a hollow slam.

"All of you, out of my office, now!"

Nobody said a word as they all made their way out, Minato a bit reluctant but as he met the stern gaze of his Hokage, he didn't look back twice. He cast a fleeting glance at the shaking teenager on the ground before leaving.

There was tense silence as the Third Hokage sat back down quietly in his chair.

"Naruto, was it?"

The blond in question slowly lifted his head, staring bewilderingly up at Sarutobi, shock evident in his eyes.

"I never told you my name, so how…?"

Sarutobi merely gave him a knowing smile.

"I've seen a lot of things back in my days, Naruto. Nothing can surprise me anymore. Although I do have to ask, what brings you here, back to this era?" The older man picked up a pen and began to sign off sheet after sheet, only skimming the writing before putting down his signature.

Naruto frowned at him as he sat up, contemplating the word 'era' in his mind. So, his silent assumptions were correct! He _was_ in the past. It took him a while to gather his bearings and respond.

"The last thing I remember…was drowning. Next thing I know I'm here with all of you guys." The blond jinchuuriki stated quietly, his eyes somber as he recalled his last moments in his time.

The last time he saw Sasuke.

Sarutobi nodded slightly and focused his attention back on the silently mourning blond who sat himself quietly on the chair once again.

"I'm going to need to ask you a few questions so I know what I will be doing with you. We have already established the fact that you are from the future, so now I need to know who exactly you are." Naruto tensed up at that, the movement not going unnoticed by the Sandaime Hokage.

Fiddling nervously with his fingers and looking around anywhere but at Sarutobi, Naruto bit his bottom lip anxiously.

"You mean, you don't already know?" He asked cautiously, raising an elegant eyebrow. The Hokage chuckled slightly.

"No, I don't know everything, Naruto. I'm not psychic!" Sarutobi said tenderly, making the blond teen smile weakly. The Third Hokage saw the hesitancy in the boy's eyes and waited patiently, an understanding smile placed firmly on his thin, frail lips. It took Naruto about ten minutes to gain the courage to speak.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I am currently seventeen years of age. My birth parents are Namikaze Minato, born and raised in Konohagakure no Sato, and Uzumaki Kushina, born and raised in Uzushiogakure no Sato, but was later transferred to Konoha where she met my father. As you may have already figured out she is the host for the Kyuubi no Youko. In the future, she will die. Ultimately, my father will as well." Naruto took a shuddering breath and stood up.

He reached behind himself and untied the knot of his hospital gown swiftly, letting the thin material drop down to his waist. Summoning a small amount of chakra he watched as the tattoo encircling his navel appeared. The Sandaime's eyes widened a fraction as he watched the intricacy of the seal on the teen's abdomen reveal itself, already knowing what must have happened for Naruto to have gotten it.

"I am currently the host of the Kyuubi no Youko." The blond looked up with dull eyes up at Sarutobi. The old man merely nodded and gestured with his hand for Naruto to stop with any further explanation he had to say. The blond stayed quiet, fixing his flimsy clothing.

Sarutobi made a noise in the back of his throat and swiftly opened one of his drawers. He rummaged through the mess in there until he found what he was looking for.

"Now that I know more about you, it's time I fill you in on what you will have to do in your stay here." The old man held up something in his withered hand. Naruto immediately stood up and quickly walked toward him, his azure eyes alight with happiness.

"This was the only thing that wasn't burned off of you, or so Minato says. This is how I know you are from the future. I know this and it is the only one in world, and right now, Tsunade-hime has it." Sarutobi watched as Naruto held the small crystal gem gently, almost as if it were about to break.

"So….so this _isn't_ a dream?" The blond inquired helplessly. The Third Hokage gave him a solemn look before shaking his head and getting up to stare out his window, overlooking the bustling village.

"Tomorrow you will be living under the care of Uchiha Fugaku who is my next most trusted subordinate until you are earning a sufficient amount of money to live on your own." Naruto nodded, trying to process all the information he was receiving as best as he could while still trying to comprehend the fact that he was most likely _stuck in the past_.

"I must also warn you that you will be on probation for at least one to two weeks just to be on the safe side. I will supply the council with forged documents of your records."

There was a momentary pause in which the Sandaime furrowed his eyebrows in pensive thought before enlightenment twinkled in his prudent eyes.

"From here on out your story will be that you are from a neighboring village and you came here to learn how to become a ninja and to serve Konoha. In order for this story to be believable you must have the skills of a genin, which you will then show to the council in three weeks by undergoing a test of sorts." Sarutobi cleared his throat and turned to stare at the blond across from him.

"My dear boy I know this is a lot to take in after such a short time of being awake but please bear with me. Your presence here may or may not alter the future, it really depends on what you do so I suggest you don't interact with your parents that much. No one is to know where you really came from or who you really are, therefore your surname will become _Aizawa_." Naruto looked down grimly and nodded in absent-minded understanding.

Why was this happening to him of all people? Why couldn't he have simply died in that wretched lake like he was supposed to? _Death by drowning, yeah that would have been the way to go, _Naruto thought sourly. He would be lying if he said he hadn't died a bit inside when Sasuke refused to save him.

"Aizawa Naruto." The blond said monotonously, not liking the blandness of his new last name. Uzumaki, now _that_ was a surname. Oh well, he had to do what he had to do. Sarutobi smiled at him and calmly took a few steps toward Naruto. He put a reassuring hand on the teen's shoulder and squeezed it briefly.

"Everything will be fine, don't worry so much." He said with a smile.

All Naruto could do was simply believe in him.

* * *

**A/N: I revised this part so please tell me if it's to your liking now!**


	4. Uchihas

**Author's Note: Here is chapter four! Hope you enjoy! I apologize for the long wait! I'm making Itachi a bit older than he's supposed to be!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Naruto characters.

**Warning: **Yaoi (MalexMale), crude language, (future) sexual content

**Rated: **NC-17

**Pairing: **Minato Namikaze & Naruto Uzumaki

**Summary:**_He was never the sharpest kunai when it came to understanding the laws of physics, but he was pretty sure that he shouldn't have magically traveled back in the time where his father and mother were. Making Minato fall for him was just a bonus he guessed._

* * *

**Fool Me Once**

**Chapter 4: **Uchihas

"I'm not going to lose to you!"

"Shut up, gaki!" Naruto barked back at the boy standing in front of him. Obito's face flushed red and his lips turned downward in a deep scowl. His obsidian eyes glared at the smirking blond.

"No, _you_ shut up, blondie!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed to the point where they were almost closed as he leaned forward to press his forehead against the younger boy's in mock scrutiny. He puffed out his whiskered cheeks and placed his hands on his hips haughtily.

"What did you call me, shorty?" the blond asked threateningly. Obito grinned maliciously and leaned into the contact even more.

"Did I stutter? And who you callin' shorty? I'm almost as tall as you and your seventeen while I'm eleven!"

Naruto glared at him and brought up his arm to roll up his black sleeve, flexing his muscles to show his triceps.

"You wanna piece of me, punk? I'll _destroy_ you!" With that said, Naruto pulled away from the boy and laughed maniacally, making Obito face-palm. The blond's laughter was abruptly cut off as he was tripped and proceeded to fall flat on top of the young Uchiha. They fell unceremoniously to the floor in a heap of limbs.

"Obito, I thought Fugaku told you to guard him, not to antagonize him." A deep, velveteen voice spoke from above them. Naruto's body stiffened and he unconsciously buried his face deep into the crook of Obito's warm, pale neck before slowly getting off the other male. The young Uchiha paid no heed to it as his full attention was on his sensei. A shit-eating grin spread across his boyish face.

"Minato-sensei!" He exclaimed excitedly while jumping to his feet once Naruto got off of him. The blond stood in the background timidly, watching the two talk and laugh with one another. Naruto inched away from them and quickly slipped out of the door once he was sure Minato wasn't paying much attention to him.

He hadn't even taken four steps into the empty hallway before he turned his head completely around only to bump straight into a hard chest. Naruto let out a surprised gasp as he lost his footing, clenching his eyes shut to ready himself for the pain his butt was sure to receive. Before he could make it to the ground though, a strong arm shot out and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, heaving his body back up.

Everything happened so suddenly that it left Naruto's head spinning. At first, he had been about to fall on his ass. Next thing he knew a man that looked very much like Sasuke's father had saved him by tugging on his shirt. Harder than necessary, might he add.

Now, they both were on the ground in a _very _provocative position with two pairs of wide eyes staring down at them from the doorway to Naruto's hospital room. There was hearty laughter coming from the opposite side of them and Naruto, still too dizzy to actually do anything about his body, groaned in exasperation.

"I see you two are getting along better than I thought you would." Hiruzen spoke with a light chuckle. Fugaku scowled, a deep blush adorning his rigid face as he sat up stalk-still.

The blond in between his legs shifted and before Fugaku knew it, he was losing himself in the most captivating oceanic-blue eyes he had ever seen. Peculiarly whiskered cheeks flushed a light pink and Naruto quickly averted his eyes, immediately scrambling off the stern-faced man to stand next to the Sandaime.

Naruto observed with avid interest as his supposed father hurriedly walked to the raven's side, offering him his hand with a cheerful smile. Fugaku glared at him and slapped his hand away. Instead, choosing to stand on his own with the fluid grace both Itachi and Sasuke used to possess.

He watched as Fugaku turned his glare toward Obito.

"Didn't I tell you to make sure he doesn't wander off?" Fugaku hissed sourly. Obito shuffled his feet nervously, avoiding his uncle's firm gaze.

"I got distracted…" the boy mumbled softly. Before Fugaku could scold him further, Hiruzen cleared his throat loudly. All eyes turned to him as he stared kindly at Naruto to Fugaku.

"Naruto, from here on out you will be living with Fugaku-san here. He is the leader of Konoha's Military Police Force and a good friend of mine. I'm sure your stay with him will be pleasant."

The blond jinchuuriki stared at the man before him, narrowing his eyes to scrutinize him better.

'_So this is him __**before**__ the coup d'etat…' _Naruto thought to himself.

All the while Fugaku stayed silent, taking his time to quietly inspect his charge. There was such an uncanny resemblance between him and that idiot Minato that if it weren't for the strange marks on the teenager's cheeks and Namikaze's muscular build he would have though the two were twins. This kid could actually pull off being Minato's son, but the age difference was totally off.

Finally, Naruto stepped forward and bowed deeply to the other man. It was so unlike himself that even Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Uchiha-sama."

The blond stood straight while Fugaku merely grunted and inclined his head. As he swiftly turned around and began to head out (after he bid his goodbye to the Sandaime Hokage) everyone missed the way his lips twitched upward. Naruto and Obito quickly waved to their Hokage before following after the older Uchiha.

Fugaku discreetly glanced at them as they walked on either side of him.

'_This boy…is strange.'_

* * *

Upon arriving at the Uchiha Compound Naruto was left in a nostalgic state. What he once remembered as a desolate land littered with abandoned households was now an actual complex filled with kids playing, adults conversing, and elders laughing. People were living and breathing here and it surprised Naruto.

The several times he had been there when he resided in his rightful era the Uchiha Compound always seemed sorrowfully haunted. The atmosphere had been suffocating yet liberating at the same time and it astounded Naruto to no end. He always wondered if Sasuke had felt like that too, but he doubted it.

As he walked calmly behind Fugaku Naruto took the time to relish in the sites. What Sasuke wouldn't have given in order to see this once more. He felt obligated to memorize everything about this current Uchiha Compound, almost to the extent where he wanted to take a picture for safe-keeping.

Even _if_ he would never be able to show Sasuke.

The curious stares Naruto was receiving pulled him out of his musings. Some kind, elderly people waved at him and he eagerly waved back to them. Even the children running around paused in their playing to stare in awe at him. Always oblivious to him though, the majority of the teenage girls stopped in the midst of their chores to practically drool at the sight of him, heavy blushes adorning their pale and pretty faces.

Fugaku didn't miss this odd display of adoration. He raised an elegantly carved eyebrow and slightly shook his head. Girls nowadays were so hormonal. Although he had to admit Naruto was very easy on the eyes.

They finally arrived to Fugaku's home and Naruto found himself becoming anxious when the older man calmly and slowly took off his ninja sandals; the blond followed suit but at a quicker pace. Fugaku sighed and slid open the _fusuma_.

"Welcome home!" A chirper voice shouted to them.

Naruto peeked over Fugaku's broad shoulder and couldn't help the smile that adorned his lips. Mikoto, he recalled her name, stood in the kitchen with plates in her hand ready to set the table. Fugaku merely grunted in response and took a seat across from the little boy already settled nicely on the _tatami_ mat.

The blond jinchuuriki blinked, and then blinked again.

Was that….was that _Itachi_?

_Holy shiiiiit_, Naruto thought loudly to himself. He was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown again when the gruff clearing of a throat pulled him out of his reverie.

"Mikoto set an extra plate for our guest. He will be staying with us over the next two to three months so it would be best if you'd set up one of the guest rooms as well."

Fugaku's wife blinked but it wasn't long before a soft smile spread on her lips. She bowed to Naruto and he found himself doing the same.

"Welcome, my name is Uchiha Mikoto. It's a pleasure to meet one of my husband's friends." Mikoto's voice was sweet like honey and Naruto found himself already warming up to her.

"I'm Uzu- I mean Kazo Naruto. The pleasure is all mine." He responded to her which made her smile even bigger before scurrying off to do Fugaku had requested, completely ignoring the gruff comment of "he is _not_ my friend" coming from her stern but loving husband.

Naruto took a seat next to the raven-haired boy who was staring at him with the biggest, endless obsidian orbs he had ever seen. He couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that even now Itachi had girly eyelashes.

"Hello." Naruto greeted with a toothy grin and an enthusiastic wave.

Itachi merely blinked before inclining his head and then staring at nothing in particular. Naruto frowned at the lack of attention he was receiving.

"What's your name?" He questioned innocently.

Itachi turned his head to stare at him rather dispassionately and it irked Naruto to no end.

"Itachi." The boy's voice didn't sound like the Itachi he had come to know and respect. Naruto refrained from wincing at the soft tone of voice that almost all children seemed to possess. The blond smiled down at him.

"How old are you?" Naruto continued.

"Ten."

The blond teen simply nodded and left it at that. This was getting awkward real quick.

After finishing dinner and thanking Mikoto for showing him to his room Naruto finally took the time to let out a long tired sigh. His life was just _so messed up._

At that moment, more than anything else in the world, he really wanted to talk with his father. Seeing Minato for the second time in his life was simply a _miracle_ and it completely _sucked ass_ that he couldn't even talk to the man. Sure, they had gotten off on the wrong foot but it wasn't like their underdeveloped relationship was totally ruined.

Even though the man was the majority of the reason why his childhood and teenage life had been, and still was, so utterly fucked up, that didn't mean Naruto was going to hate him for it. As the Yondaime, he had to do what he had to do. Besides, having Kyuubi in him wasn't all that bad. It made him a better person and stronger man than most people and for that Naruto was glad.

But what could possibly go wrong with just _conversing_ with his supposed-to-be father?

It's not like Minato would end up _not_ having him with his future mother, Kushina.

'_I mean, what could possibly go wrong?' _Naruto snorted at his thought and tucked himself inside his _futon._

Well, what Sarutobi didn't know, wouldn't hurt him.

* * *

**A/N: Some of you may have noticed that Itachi's age is way off. Sorry about that but it has to be so bear with me, k? Sorry for the long wait and short chapter! I'll try and update sooner!**


	5. Fateful Encounter

**Author's Note: Here is chapter five! Also, I've made a few changes to the previous chapters so if in order to not get so confused of their ages and stuff then I suggest you read the prologue again. Thanks again for your support!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Naruto characters.

**Warning: **Yaoi (MalexMale), crude language, (future) sexual content

**Rated: **NC-17

**Pairing: **Minato Namikaze & Naruto Uzumaki

**Summary: **_He was never the sharpest kunai when it came to understanding the laws of physics, but he was pretty sure that he shouldn't have magically traveled back in the time where his father and mother were. Making Minato fall for him was just a bonus he guessed._

* * *

**Fool Me Once**

**Chapter 5: **Fateful Encounter

"I can't go back to sleep."

Twin hues of azure stared up at the ceiling as if it were the bane of his current problem. The ends of his lips twitched downward in an irritated scowl, blond eyebrows furrowing together.

Finally fed up with just lying on the _futon_ for the past thirty minutes and waiting for the much awaited drowsy sleepiness after waking up to overtake him, yet never coming, he grudgingly sat up. He had never woken this early in the morning before and it felt _awful_. No one else was awake, that was for sure.

He had spent a good part of his dreadfully long thirty minutes trying to catch the barest of hints that someone was in fact, alive in the house. No such luck.

There was only the occasional chirp of a cricket and a rustle of leaves being ruffled by the wind that sounded outside. It was three in the morning; nobody in their right mind would be awake at his hour when they had an upcoming lazy Friday. Well, as lazy as a ninja village could get.

Naruto sighed and swept a hand through his blond hair. He arched his body forward, letting out a contented moan when he felt stiff joints popping. He sat still for a moment and stared blankly ahead of him. Suddenly, a pout formed on his lips.

He missed his bed.

But seeing as there was nothing he could do about it at the moment, he shrugged and got up, folding the _futon_ neatly in the corner of the barren room.

He spent a good five minutes trying to locate the bathroom once more, having forgotten where Mikoto had told him it would be in the morning. He tried walking as quietly as possible through the halls, the moonlight shining above making it easier for him to see where he was going. Naruto gave a silent whoop of triumph when he finally managed to find the damn bathroom.

Peeing had never felt so uncomfortable. When his long stream of piss breached the flat surface of the water, it was _loud_. It hurt to stop the steady flow of the yellow stream, but he really didn't want to wake up Fugaku. If he was anything like Sasuke, then he was _not_ a morning person.

Awkwardly, Naruto crouched down, hesitantly letting his urine flow. It came out in abrupt pauses every so often, literally taking him three extra minutes to pee than normal.

He quietly went about his business after that. Washing his face was a bit more hushed than peeing and for that he was grateful. So was putting a glob of toothpaste in his mouth along with water and swishing it around.

He'd have to remind himself later to go buy a toothbrush.

Once out of the bathroom he felt fresh and ready for the morning, but sadly he found there was nothing to do other than sit on a rather large rock in the middle of the sand garden and go through the _katas_ Yamato had taught him.

His body, as of late, had started feeling underused and the muscles that were usually so refined and taut now felt like useless flab. It was weird not having his taichou doing them with him, so he closed his eyes and imagined the wide-eyed brunette in his mind, doing the exact moves he was doing, neither of them talking since the _mokuton_-user found it disciplinary for them not to speak.

Of course, that never stopped Naruto from talking ever so often, annoying Yamato to no end. The blond frowned and opened his eyes once more, a strong yearning encompassing his heart. He missed his taichou and the thought of not ever getting to see the man again tore at him.

No more ruffling of his disheveled spikes. No more stern lectures. No more telling him how much of a good job he did. No more creepy faces…

Okay, so maybe he wouldn't miss that last characteristic of Yamato, but he sure as hell would miss the other ones. In the little amount of time he had spent with man, he'd slowly become a major constant in his life – a pillar, of sorts. Someone he knew he could count on that would always be there for him.

Both Yamato and Kakashi had been his mentors and ever since the death of Jiraiya, the three of them had gotten closer. If only so Naruto wouldn't feel so lonely without his ero-sennin.

A bitter smile found its way to his lips as he finished his _katas_, sitting down to meditate as that old toad, Fukasaku, had once taught him. Tapping into his natural energy always had a way of making him feel closer to the old hermit. Cerulean eyes that had been shut closed opened to reveal golden irises and horizontal bar-like pupils.

"Gah!"

Quickly, his Sage Mode was disrupted as he met the stern gaze of Fugaku, his _Sharingan _out and watching him curiously. Naruto blushed embarrassedly, his scarred cheeks flushing a cute rosy color.

Glancing to the sky up above, the blond blinked in bewilderment. The sun was already rising in the horizon, casting light hues of periwinkle.

"Naruto-san, join us for breakfast." Fugaku finally spoke, not sparing him another glance as he made his way into the house. Naruto sighed, standing up and jumping off the boulder to land gracefully on the wooden floorboards. He took fast steps to catch up to the other man, stiffly walking behind him, blush unrelenting.

Blue eyes silently watched the broad back of Sasuke's father. His eyes narrowed at the rippling fabric of the Uchiha fan crest embroidered on the back of the robe.

And then suddenly it hit him like a splash of cold water.

What if…what if he deliberately _tried_ to change the future – to alter the outcome of Sasuke's life?

He knew very well that just by being here he had reformed some insignificant events in some people's lives, but his being here without not really doing anything would necessarily stop the coup d'état from happening.

What if he could manage to somehow stop the betrayal? In order to save Itachi from going through all that pain and for Sasuke grow up not so screwed up in the head.

Maybe, just maybe, he could indeed stop the Uchiha clans' ultimate downfall.

The question now was how?

How could he stop it from happening?

Killing them was certainly out of the question. So was holding a speech of the possible future and risk exposing Itachi. The only other option was to-

"Naruto-kun?"

The blond's sudden musings came to a screeching halt. He blinked at the woman standing in front of him, a concerned look warping her beautiful features. Naruto offered her a reassuring smile.

"_Gomen_, I seem to have been lost in my thoughts." He explained lamely, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Mikoto nodded, her eyebrows still furrowed together in worry. She made her way back to the sink and Naruto sat down next to Itachi who had been watching him with interest. Fugaku glanced at him discretely from the corner of his eyes, his thin lips set in a firm line as always.

Once Mikoto sat down with them did they say their traditional 'itadakimasu' before digging into their food. Naruto bit into the fluffy blocks of eggs and he knew right then why Itachi had loved his mother so dearly.

"_Sugoiii_! Uchiha-san this is delicious!" He exclaimed excitedly, taking another ravenous bite of the egg on his chopstick. She smiled warmly at him, her eyes twinkling in delight.

"_Arigato gozaimasu_, Naruto-kun. I am glad you like it." Mikoto replied pleasantly. In such a sort amount of time of knowing the peculiar blond she knew she would automatically take a liking to him. He reminded her so much of Kushina, their personality being so uncanny. It was funny how he looked so much like Minato, though.

"_Anuo saaa…_Fugaku-san?" Naruto said unsurely.

The head of the Uchiha Police Force opened his eyes, staring at the anxiously shifting blond across from him. Naruto averted his eyes, a blush adorning his cheeks as all eyes focused in on him. He nibbled on the sausage in his mouth nervously.

"Who exactly is Namikaze-san?" The blond finally questioned, looking pointedly into Fugaku's coal eyes.

The man stared at him for a long while, searching for any tell-tale signs of hidden motives before calmly taking a sip of his tea. He lay the cup down with an audible _clank_.

"He is..." Fugaku paused, searching for the right words to describe the young ANBU Captain, "He is a very skilled shinobi of Konoha. The village holds him in high regards as he is considered a prodigy."

Naruto nodded, biting the side of his absent-mindedly.

"Is he, you know….an asshole?"

The blunt statement made Fugaku pause in bringing a piece of egg to his mouth, giving Naruto his most incredulous look that an Uchiha could muster up.

Itachi couldn't help the amused smirk that crossed his lips, chewing his food pleasantly. This guy sure was something else to be calling the esteemed Namikaze ANBU Captain of Konoha an _asshole_. If he had been another person that wasn't an Uchiha, he probably would have let out a bark of laughter.

"Minato-san is very charming." Mikoto chimes in hopelessly. "Both Kushina-chan and him come by every Friday for dinner. Of course, Kushina always drags him here since they are very close." She adds with a small giggle.

Naruto froze.

Tomorrow was Friday.

Apprehension suddenly grabbed at him, shaking him to the very core. What if he wasn't ready to meet his parents? What if he let something slip and his entire cover would be blow? So many 'what ifs' ran through his mind in a jumbled mess. Suddenly, an interesting question stood out in his head.

"Are they…in a relationship?" He inquired suspiciously.

Mikoto giggles again, making her husband roll his eyes.

"Not yet." She says with a mischievous smile.

"Not officially." Itachi pipes in, correcting his mother.

Fugaku shoots his son a glare and Naruto laughs at the cute display of family affection. He only wishes Sasuke were there instead of him.

They finish eating and Naruto doesn't even have time to ask Mikoto if she needed help with the dishes before he's being dragged out of the house by Fugaku.

"We are going to the Hokage." The man simply says and Naruto follows him quietly through the village.

The blond took in the slightly familiar sights around him as much as he could. There was the Ichiraku Ramen Stand, the Yamanaka Flower shop, that one place where they sold delicious _dango_, and the usual barbeque place where Team Asuma had often eaten at…

Naruto was frowning once again, an unhappy aura settling over him.

He was homesick, that much was for sure.

The rest of the way to the Hokage's office was bland and unexciting except for the occasional nods that Fugaku would receive from fellow shinobi roaming about the streets. Both men trekked up the long set of stairs in silence. Finally, they arrived and Fugaku knocked approximately two times.

They heard a muffled 'enter' from the other side and Fugaku opened the door, Naruto walking in behind him. The sight that greeted them made him literally want to high-tail it out of there.

Uzumaki Kushina stood by Sandaime's desk, her royal blue eyes sparkling in pleasantness as she raked her eyes over the man that had just stridden in.

"Ah Fugaku-kun!" she exclaimed happily. The man grunted in response.

Kushina's smile tightened considerably but she ignored it in favor of spotting the familiar head of golden spikes that stood behind the towering Uchiha. Her darkened eyes widened in surprise, quickly walking over to the barely hidden figure.

"Minato!" She roughly pushed Fugaku away and blindly pulled the blond into a hug.

Naruto was shell-shocked. There was a light fluttering in the pit of his stomach before, but now that he was in the warm embrace of his dear future mother, the tickling sensation disappeared, being replaced by a tightening knot.

Quickly, before she noticed who he was, he wrapped his arms around her lithe form, smelling the auburn hair she possessed. Oddly enough, it smelled like cherry blossoms on a spring day.

Kushina pulled back, the wide smile that was once plastered on her face was now completely gone. Her maroon-colored eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"You aren't Minato…" She whispered, tracing a whisker-like scar on the blond's face.

Naruto tensed and blushed, scratching his chin embarrassedly.

"I know." He responded back.

"Then why did you hug me back?" Kushina pressed, her lips pursing together. Naruto coughed into his hand awkwardly, averting his eyes away from his future mother.

"You…uh…looked really happy to see that Minato guy and I didn't want to disappoint you so…uh…yeah." His blush deepened considerably.

The redhead's face suddenly splits into a smile and she thrusts a hand to him. Naruto blinks at the offered limb for a moment before timidly taking it into his own. He shook it firmly, his lips slowly upturning into a replica smile to mirror Kushina's.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding. We should get to know each other. I'm Uzumaki Kushina, _dattebane_!" The redhead pronounces and Naruto can't help but let his smile widen, falling back into his usual boisterous personality.

"Aizawa Naruto, _dattebayo_!" The blond didn't restrain the bubbling giddiness that escaped his lips. Thankfully, he hadn't forgotten to say his assigned surname.

Kushina blinked, astounded. She turned to the Sandaime who stood next to Fugaku, quietly watching the exchange between the two. She pointed a finger to the grinning blond in front of her.

"This is the boy Minato found? He's the one replacing Kakashi in the chūnin exams?" Kushina asks in curious wonderment. Hiruzen chuckled and nodded slowly. The redhead's grin reappears and she turns back to the blond.

"Well, Naruto, it was nice meeting you. I hope to see you again sometime! Bye Fugaku! See you later Sarutobi!" She bids them all a farewell as she walks out of the office. They all watch her leave silently. A wisp of a smile still plastered on Naruto's lips and his eyes gaze at her retreating back wistfully.

He wants so bad to pull her back and hug her once more because the second time didn't count and the first time was everything he imagined hugging his mother would be. He wants to tell her that he's her son and that he's missed her so much and that she's even more beautiful in person than in his mindscape.

But he doesn't, because he knows better. So he settles for viewing her until she fully disappears behind the door.

Naruto's heart is heavy and he grabs a fistful of the plain black t-shirt he is wearing just above his chest. It hurts to know that his parents are so close, yet so far from him. An aged hand rests on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly and all he can do is to give Sarutobi a somber stretch of his lips.

The Hokage clears his throat and goes back to his desk, eyeing the two males standing in his office.

"Why have you come?" He finally asks and Fugaku stands at attention.

"I request for you to put chakra restraints on my charge, Hokage-sama."

Naruto blanched at the unexpected request. Sarutobi looked shocked as well, giving the Uchiha an incredulous look. The blond pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest, blowing a raspberry at the man standing next to him.

"Teme…" he grumbled moodily.

Fugaku's eyebrow gave the barest of twitches, ignoring the blatant display of disrespect coming from his charge.

"In all due respect, Hokage-sama, this boy is living under my roof and I have little knowledge of who he is. I want to keep my family safe, and in doing so I have to assure that he is incapable of doing such treason if they day were to ever come."

Naruto's eyes grew wide at the accusation, hurt flashing across his face.

"I would nev-"

"Alright."

The blond's mouth clamped shut with a _clink_.

Now that he thought about it, he understood where Fugaku was coming from. He'd even have trouble not being wary of a stranger living in his house with _his_ family. Well, whatever made the other less uneasy then he guessed he'd just have to live with it.

"But only during his probationary period. Now, please leave for the moment while I prepare Naruto."

Fugaku left without a backward glance and Sandaime stood up, walking over to the blond-haired teen standing in the middle of his office, nervously biting his bottom lip.

"Oji-sama…I need to talk to you…privately." Naruto spoke while eying the office door. Sarutobi nodded silently, an unsettling feeling overcoming him as he made the necessary seals to cast a silencing barrier around the room.

"Take off your shirt and kneel onto the ground, my dear boy." He informed, going through the tricky hand signs with ease and biting on his thumb. Once Naruto did as told he slammed his hand on the teen's bare back.

The blond coughed, holding himself up with his hands to keep from falling to the ground. Sarutobi patted his head fondly, watching as the intricately designed seal disappeared into the jinchuuriki's flesh.

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Naruto put his clothes back on and stared out the window to gaze at the village below. He noticed the Hokage Mountain only had three heads on it and he felt his heart ache.

_Tsunade-baa-chan…_

"Why did you assign me to Minato's team if you didn't want us to interact?" The blond finally questioned, confusion lacing through his words. Hiruzen sighed tiredly and slumped in his seat. His years were finally taking their toll on him.

"I feel that you will drastically change that team's outcome for the better when the time comes."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. Now that he remembered, Kakashi had said something about all his team members dying. Was the old man Sarutobi implying that he could prevent that from happening? His sensei never told him the full details, so how was he supposed to go about that?

"Besides, I can't very well stop you from meeting your parents. I know you want to talk to them despite my warning. Let's just hope you don't drastically alter things. We still don't know what will become of you once you are born – or, if you are ever born."

Naruto gulped at the revelation.

Could he really change the outcome of ever being born?

He doubted it.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was kind of bland, but I needed to write in order for you to get a better understanding of why Naruto isn't really himself as of late. He's homesick, poor him! The next chapter will be better I promise! He finally gets to meet Minato, yaaay! **

**Reviews are greatly welcomed! **


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